71 Chapter 1228: Castrate That Emperor 1 (1/2)
Others might not have been aware of the sentiments that Zhang Xuan had for his students, but having followed him since Tianxuan Kingdom, Sun Qiang could not have understood any clearer.
For Lu Chong, he single-handedly faced an entire Conferred Kingdom. For Zhao Ya and Wang Ying, he was willing to threaten the powers that had taken them away. For Wei Ruyan, he was willing to put himself in danger.
It could be said that for his students, there was nothing that he would not do!
If something really happened to Liu Yang, he could already foresee Zhang Xuan charging straight into the Qingyuan royal palace and wreaking havoc, not resting until he turned the entire place upside down!
”What should I do?” Sun Qiang frowned in anxiety.
Although it was said that Zhang Xuan was in seclusion, Sun Qiang knew that he had gone somewhere very far away, and it would be difficult for him to return any time soon.
If Sun Qiang allowed anything to happen to Liu Yang during this period, there was no way Zhang Xuan would ever forgive him!
After asking for the details of the matter, Sun Qiang clasped his fist and bade farewell. ”Chu gongzi, thank you for your notice. I am deeply grateful to you for your tip. I'll report this matter to our Young Master this instant!”
After which, he turned around and left.
Not too long later, he arrived at Division Head Zhou's residence.
”… That is the entire matter.” Sun Qiang swiftly filled Division Head Zhou on the happenings before requesting, ”Division Head Zhou, I hope that you can dispatch some men to follow me to the royal palace to save Young Master Liu Yang!”
”You want to march to the royal palace to save Liu gongzi?” Division Head Zhou frowned. ”This is no light matter. This is a matter that concerns the relationship among the Combat Master Hall, Master Teacher Pavilion, and the regional monarchy. While I can dispatch some combat masters to demand for Liu gongzi's release, such an action could easily escalate the conflict! It'll be safer if we report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them mediate for us!”
”Report it to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters?” A deep frown emerged between Sun Qiang's brows.
At this point, they did not even know what condition Liu Yang was in. A single day delayed meant an additional day of danger for the latter! If they were to settle this matter through bureaucracy, who could guarantee that Liu Yang would still be alive by the time any concrete action was taken?
At this point, Sun Qiang could not help but recall the torture he had been put through by King Zhongqing, and an involuntary shudder ran through his body.
”Combat masters are effectively the soldiers of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so there's a strict regimentation that we have to follow. In order to mobilize our men, we will need a decree from the hall master himself! I apologize, but there is really nothing I can do about this matter. However, there should be no cause for worry. No matter what, Liu gongzi is Zhang shi's student, so Chu Tianxing should not go too far,” Division Head Zhou consoled.
It was not that he did not want to help Sun Qiang, but the potential consequences that could arise from dispatching combat masters to confront the regional monarchy were simply too great. A division head like him was not qualified to bear the responsibility of the outcome.
If Hall Master Xing had been around, he might have been qualified to make such a call. However, as luck would have it, Hall Master Xing was not around either. If matters were to go awry, putting aside his position as a division head, he might even be stripped of his identity as a combat master!
The Combat Master Hall wielded immense power, so it was of paramount importance that the utmost caution was taken in its mobilization.
Otherwise, the Combat Master Hall would only be viewed as a threat by the regional power, and this would cause the leadership of the Master Teacher Pavilion to be questioned.
Seeing that Division Head Zhou was reluctant to make a move, Sun Qiang's face turned livid. ”Since you aren't willing to save Young Master Liu Yang, I'll think of a way myself!”
Leaving those words behind, Sun Qiang flung his sleeves furiously and left.
After leaving Division Head Zhou's residence, he headed straight to the accommodation that the Combat Master Hall had prepared for the poison masters.
”Benefactor!” Upon seeing Sun Qiang, Elder Xu and the others from the Poison Hall hurriedly greeted him with grateful smiles on their faces.
If not for the middle-aged man before them, they could have been tortured to death in King Zhongqing's hands. They also would not have been able to become upstanding combat masters, able to walk in the light without being shunned by others either.
The other party had not only given them a second life, he had also changed their fate as well.
”Un. Actually, I have a matter that I require your help with.” Without any hesitation, Sun Qiang dove straight to the topic at hand.
With his current strength, there was no way he could barge into the royal palace single-handedly and save Liu Yang. Thus, he had to gather all the power he could tap into.
For some inconceivable reason, these poison masters were extremely respectful to him, even going to the extent of pledging their loyalty to him again and again. As such, they were the first group that he thought of seeking help from.
”Benefactor, feel free to speak! As long as it's within our means, we'll have it accomplished regardless of the cost!” the poison masters replied resoundingly without the slightest hint of hesitation in their voices.
After cultivating the poison art that their founder had left for them, their cultivation had really improved by leaps and bounds. This was especially so for Elder Xu, who had recently made a breakthrough to Saint 3-dan.
The improvement in his cultivation was one thing, but more importantly, his comprehension and grasp over poison had also reached greater heights.
As long as he had a sufficiently potent poison in hand, he would be able to kill even a Primordial Spirit realm expert easily!
”There's no need to agree to my request so quickly. You can make your decision after listening to their story.” Sun Qiang was slightly surprised by the poison masters' unhesitating response to his request, but knowing the dangers in this mission, he did not want to force them into it.
”It's like this. Young Master Liu Yang has been captured by the emperor of Qingyuan Empire, so I would like to seek your help in saving him!” Sun Qiang swiftly went through everything that he had heard from Chu Xiang.
”You want us to break into the Qingyuan royal palace to save Liu gongzi?”
”That dog of an emperor! I knew that he is a snake just by seeing how adamantly he protected King Zhongqing!”
”To dare make a move against Liu gongzi, that bastard is clearly disrespecting our great benefactor! Tell us, how do you want us to do it?”
”Shall we have the entire Qingyuan royal palace poisoned to death? I think they at least deserve this much for their insolence!”
Sun Qiang's words induced an impassioned uproar amid the crowd from the Poison Hall.
There was not a single word of refusal from them.
Any matter concerning to their benefactor was more important than their own lives. Besides, they were not master teachers either, so rules and the sort meant very little to them.
”Good!” Seeing the poison masters agreeing heartily to his request, Sun Qiang could not help but feel deeply touched inside.
Ever since his first meeting with these poison masters, they had already treated him with the utmost respect. And now, they were even willing to brave such grave danger just to complete the task he had asked of them.